IF you have children aged under seven, or care for someone else’s, you need to read this story.
Even if you just occasionally pick up some little ones from a crèche, kinder or primary school as a favour for a friend, this may well affect you.
New national laws governing child restraints and car seating arrangements for under sevens come into effect in Victoria on November 9.
That means parents, grandparents and anyone else with cause to carry young kids around in their car have just over six weeks to familiarise themselves with their new responsibilities.
Failure to do so could result in a $263 fine and the loss of three demerit points - the penalty for not ensuring passengers under 16 are properly secured in a vehicle, even if the children belong to someone else.
As of today, the law requires drivers to ensure that babies under one are carried in a properly fitted, approved child restraint suitable for infant’s size and weight.
Other passengers under 16 also need to wear a seatbelt or Australian Standard-approved restraint appropriate for the child’s size and weight.
And while it is not recommended that young children travel in the front seat of a car, there is presently no law forbidding it, despite it posing a greater risk in the event of a crash.
But that is all about to change.
From November 9, the following regulations will apply:
- Babies under six months must be carried in a rear-facing restraint;
- Children aged from six months but under four years must travel in a rear or forward-facing restraint with in-built harness;
- Those aged between four years and under seven must use a forward-facing restraint with in-built harness (up to 18kg) or a booster seat (up to 26kg);
- All restraints must be Australian Standard-approved, properly fastened and correctly adjusted;
- Toddlers under four must not travel in the front if the car has two or more seating rows; and
- Children aged from four to under seven must not travel in the front unless all other seats are occupied by other children under seven, and then they must sit in a booster seat.
One of the problems with the soon-to-be outdated rules stems from the fact that they are based on being appropriate for a child’s size.
But how many people can look at a child under seven - their own or someone else’s - and accurately estimate what they weigh?
That is exactly what is required presently, and VicRoads research suggests many parents are moving their kids out of child restraints and into adult seatbelts too soon.
Graduating out of a booster seat and moving from the back to the front seat were always regarded as signs of becoming a “big kid” in my household.
And my six-year-old has been somewhat horrified that she has to take what she sees as a backward step - for a few months, anyway.
My nephew turns seven in a fortnight after the new laws are introduced, and he is also less than keen about the idea, even though it won’t be a long-term move for him.
We are among many families affected in this way - some of whom will have to dig around in the shed and dust the cobwebs off their booster seat, or even buy a new restraint, to comply with the new laws.
But as parents, we have to embrace the changes because our children’s safety is at stake.
VicRoads says almost 300 child passengers under seven are killed or seriously hurt in crashes in Victoria every year. They are four times more likely to sustain a head injury in a crash if wearing only an adult seatbelt.
They are sobering statistics and a very good reason to take heed of the new laws.
But the situation can be confusing for parents of children who are too tall or heavy for the restraints relevant to their age group.
For example, booster seats are only approved under the Australian Standard to safely carry children weighing up to 26kg.
But a growing number of children exceed that weight restriction before they reach their seventh birthday.
A study by accident researchers at Monash University published last year, found that 37 per cent of children who met the recommended height criteria for booster seats exceeded the maximum weight specified under current Australian safety standards.
In these cases, the new laws are flexible and allow children too tall or heavy for the recommended restraint to use the one in the next age category.
Under this provision, VicRoads recommends five- and six-year-olds too heavy for a standard booster seat be moved directly into an adult seatbelt.
Parents can also choose to use a H-harness approved for children weighing up to 32kg if they wish, but this is not legally required, nor is it officially recommended.
In fact, recent research suggests a lap-sash belt is the best option.
Standards Australia Limited is in the process of revising the standard relating to child restraints to address the age versus weight issue, and to allow for larger booster seats catering for bigger children.
A new standard, basing the fit of a child restraint on the child’s shoulder-height when seated rather than weight limits, is expected to be published by the end of the year.
This is likely to include the requirement for maximum and minimum shoulder-height markings to be placed on new restraints to make selecting the right one easier.
The new child restraint laws were announced earlier in the year after an agreement was reached between road and transport ministers from across Australia.
But many families have been ignoring their impending introduction on the basis that they’ll worry about it when the time comes.
Well that time is almost here.
Visit www.vicroads.vic. gov.au/childrestraints for more details.
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